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Hello Las Vegas Valley. Today, I’m going to put together a little handbook for the homeowners guide to scorpions. We’re going to focus on the Arizona Bark Scorpion, the species that we most commonly deal with here in the Las Vegas Valley. Hopefully, you can take the information I have for you here and use it to make your home safer from scorpions.

Let’s start by making you aware of where scorpions are going to most likely be hiding during the day. Scorpions tend to like to rest upside down on surfaces lying flat against other surfaces. We will often find scorpions hiding underneath large decorative stone landscapes, upside down. We also find them underneath railroad ties or concrete planter retainers. Mortaring these brick and block joints can reduce the available hiding spaces available. So, starting at the most common places I find scorpions, we find them inside cider block walls, under flagstone or other path and walkway stones, under retainer wall brinks and under decorative stone accents. After these spots have been searched, move onto palm trees, under door mats, under plant pots and under backyard decorations, like plaster gnomes or stone frogs.

Now we’re going to move on to how scorpions get into wall voids and attics. This has been debated and there are many ways scorpions can get into the home but I’m going to quote my experience. There is a metal building structure installed at the bottom of original stucco homes between the structure and concrete foundation called, the weep screed. It allows stucco walls to drain water, meaning that concrete absorbs water. This structure also allows scorpions an excellent hiding surface and access into wall voids because this structure is not always flush with no gaps between the concrete foundation. Another common method of entry is via the roof. Bark scorpions are excellent climbers, and your roof has numerous installations between the roof and the attic that can allow scorpions access via sewer gas vent pipes, attic vents, sky lights, rooftop installed air conditioning units, and any other point on the roof that breaks the roof-attic barrier.

Let’s now talk about how scorpions can get from the voids to the inside of your home, and the name of the game here is, sealant. There are many cuts in the drywall of your home, and they are often not sealed with caulking. AC vents, bathroom fans, can lights, wall switches, electrical outlets floor-to-wall trim, doggy doors and windows all have compromises that can allow scorpions entry. Dealing with this can be easy. Applying a sealant caulking to these points is a very cost effective way of reducing scorpion numbers. Cleaning up the front and back yard of debris and building materials can make a huge difference too and of course, a good contractor can handle these jobs for you.

Now hopefully, you have a bit more knowledge on scorpions and can use this information. Animals of all kinds ultimately need 3 things to survive: food, water, and shelter. Removing one of these requirements at the very least can reduce the numbers of a given animal species. You’ve got to think small and skinny when thinking about how scorpions can get into your home. Have a lovely day folks! 

American Pest Control can help you with Scorpion Pest Control.  Call us today!